Asbestos:- Asbestos is comprised of naturally occurring minerals that were commonly used over the last century in commercial and residential construction materials, some automotive parts like clutch pads, and certain brake systems and insulation in the marine industry. Medical doctors should inquire about your work history and address concerns about on-the-job exposures that could be responsible for your symptoms. When inhaled, asbestos can contribute to benign cancer, malignant cancer like mesothelioma, and other health problems that may significantly reduce an individual’s life. Mesothelioma lawsuits have unique statutes of limitations since symptoms often do not develop until 20 or more years after exposure. However, if a doctor failed to diagnose your cancer, a different statute of limitations for Pennsylvania medical malpractice claims applies. Our Philadelphia lung cancer lawyers can review your case and explain all options available to you.
Radon:- Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. It is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that contributes to the deaths of over 20,000 people annually. Generally, radon exposure occurs in residential spaces, but can also happen in workplaces. In some cases, tenants of radon-exposed apartments or homes may pursue a landlord for negligent-property maintenance, failing to test for radon gas or inadequate mitigation of radon. If your doctor overlooked your developing lung cancer, after living in a place with radon, you might need to consult with an attorney.
Smoking or secondhand smoking:- Medical doctors should not dismiss lung cancer diagnoses for non-smokers. However, some physicians make errors. The facts remain that sometimes individuals who do not smoke are diagnosed with lung cancer. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, secondhand-tobacco smoke is responsible for more than 3,000 lung cancer deaths in non-smoking adults each year. Secondhand smoke lawsuits have been directed at landlords, condo associations, and other parties who fail to properly ventilate apartment buildings where non-smoking tenants are exposed to their neighbor’s secondhand smoke.